Copper has been found to be causative in several diseases. New findings with the greatest potential for impact in medicine include the use of copper-lowering therapy for antiangiogenesis, antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory purposes. The indication of the role of copper in formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease, and successful treatment of an Alzheimer's rodent model by copper chelation are also potentially important. There have also been recent developments in the genetic and non-genetic abnormalities of copper, including the finding of new copper-related genes that potentially could cause disease if mutated.